Yarn carrier with replaceable yarn guide means



p 10, 1940- J. HELD 2,214,372

YARN CARRIER WITH REPLAOEABLE YARN GUIDE MEANS Filed March 8, 1 939 2Sheets-Sheet 1 F.LE--l- Z5 .36 i M 5 5 g 2 EE A Z mmvrom 2- Jase h Held/BY WWW Sept. 10, 1940. J, D 2,214,372

YARN CARRIER WITH HEPLACEABLE YARN GUIDE MEANS Filed March 8, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FJLE- ll.

A IN V EN TORI Js ah field,

g a I ATTORN I mass. "10, 1940 YARN cnnama wrrn BEPLACEABLE YARN GUIDEMEANS Joseph Held, Welt Beading, Pm, minor to Textile Machine Works,Wyomissing, Pm, a corporat tion of Pennsylvania,

- Application March 8, 1939, Serlal No. 280,480

3 Claims. (Cl. 66-126) My invention relates to yarn carriers forknitting machines having separate yarn guide members therein.

It is well known that the yarn guide members g or tubes of such carrierswear and need to be replaced from time to time. The majority of tubes orguides are soldered in place, but this causes delay in replacing them.It has been proposed to provide means for releasably holding the tubesin place, but such arrangements have not been altogether satisfactory.In addition to the difflculty of obtaining an arrangement providing forconvenient removal and insertion of tubes by the operatives, certainproposed arrangements for this purpose increase the cost of manufactureof the carrier considerably. 'If the arrangement is such that the tubeturns in use, it distributes the wear and extends the life of the tube.This has also been proposed, but arrangements permitting l turning mayin time become loose enough to permit a tube to escape from the carrier.is desirable to have the ends of the tubes as low as possible to ensurethat all the sinkers shall catch the yarn and turning a tube havinga'beveled end hinders placing the free end thereof as low as isotherwise practical. Furthermore, certain latch means which have beenused for holding a yarn guide or tube in place in the carrier have giventrouble by projecting from the outline of the carrier arm into the wayof certain objects and by becoming bent out of place when such latchmeans accidentally strike against the objects. Such arrangementstherefore have not been popular with the operatives.

One object of my invention is to overcome the recited and otherdetrimental features in yarn carriers for knitting machines, havingsep-' arate yarn guide members.

Another object of my invention is to provide 40 an arrangement wherebythe separate tube or guide member of a yarn carrier may be held firmlyagainst longitudinal or angular movement but may be readily releasedwhen desired.

Another object of my invention is to provide releasable holding meansfor tubular yarn guides adapted to hold the tube in a given angularposition to facilitate bringing the end of the tube as close aspracticable to the edges of the sinkers. Another object is to provide abevel ended tubular guide and releasable holding means therefor adaptedto effect a limited turning of the tube to bring. it to the angularposition in which the bevelled end is parallel to the top edges of thesinkers.

v Still another object is to provide a satisfactory "economicalmanufacture.

Also, it,

arrangement for a yarn carrier with releasable guide which is adaptedfor convenient, rapid and With these and other objects in view, whichwill become apparent from the following detailed description of theillustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings, my invention resides in the novel elements, features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship ashereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims. A yarn carrierwithin my invention comprises an arm adapted to be attached to a yarncarrier bar of a knitting machine or other means for moving the arm.Said arm hasa socket therein open at both ends and adapted to permit acylindrical tube to pass freely from one end to the other but to affordsupport to such tube throughout the entire length of the socket. A yarnguide in the form of a tube is held releasably in said socket, the tubebeing formed from a piece of plain cylindrical tubing and the tube orguide as used in the arm socket departing from the plain cylindricaloutline of the original tubing solely in having a transverse out in itswall forming a flat for facilitating placing the tube in a desiredpredetermined angular relation to the arm and forming shoulders adaptedto cooperate with latching means for holding the tube or guidereleasably in the cocket. By making the wall of the socket to fit agiven cylindrical surface throughout the extent of the socket, themanufacture of the carrier is greatly facilitated in that the socket canbe made by a single boring operation and the guide out from ,alength oftubing with a minimum cost of both time and material. The means forlatching the guide in the socket which has been employed by me comprisesa flat metal strap or band extending in the direction circumferentiallyof the arm of the yarn carrier and held in a groove running entirelyacross one face of the arm and intersecting said socket, and runningalso partly across .theother face of the arm where it is deepened toafford anchorages for the ends of the metal strap. The cut in the guideis so positioned therein and the guide is so placed in. the socket thatit registers with the groove for said strap and the strap therefore liesin the cut in the guide when the guide is in use. .The metal strap maybe sprung by transverse pressure so that it clears the outline of theguide and the guide can then be inserted into or removed from the armvery conveniently, but is held firmly in place when in use. Owing to theflat bottom of the cut in the guide tube, the metal strap retainingmember holds the guide in a fixed angular as well as longitudinalrelation to the arm. Further, if the guide happens to be turned somewhatfrom the given angular relation to the arm when first inserted, thepressure of the metal strap against an edge of the flat on the guidewill turn the guide to the given angular position in which the flat onthe tube and the strap are parallel.

Owing to the facility with which the guide can thereby be brought to agiven angular position in the arm, I have made the guide so as to-have aminimum average clearance over the dividers of a straight knittingmachine. This is done by bevelling the delivery end of the guide andsetting the guide with the minimum safe clearance above the dividers.The bevel at the delivery end of the guide is made so that said deliveryend is in the desired position parallel to the sinkers when the fiatface of the cut in the guide is in parallel contact with the flat metalstrap.

Owing to the fact that the metal strap for latching the guide inposition for use does not project at all from the groove or recess inwhich it lies, it cannot interfere with the yarn or other object outsidethe arm and cannot become bent so as to interfere with its designedaction.

Owing to the character of the specific latching means described, itcannot be released by the fingers and a tool of some kind must be usedto release the guide from the arm of the carrier. For this purpose, oneor more recesses can be readily milled in a face of the arm of thecarrier to receive a tool for springing the metal latching strap topermit insertion and removal of a yarn guide.

While the specific latching means disclosed has a number of advantagesas set forth, I do not limit myself to it in all cases.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of portions of the yarn carrierbars, needle bars, needle bank and sinker bed of a full fashionedknitting ma chine with a yarn carrier in accordance with my inventionattached to one of the yarn carrier bars;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken from the left of and at right angles toFig. 1;

' Fig. 3 is a front view of the yarn carrier shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is'a cross section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig.3;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the same line as Fig. .6, the partsshowing different relative posi- .tion;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the same line as Figs. 6 and '7 butincluding a. greater length of the yarn carrier arm and showing theparts in still another relative position;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a front view of the yarn tube shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; and

Fig. 11 is a side view in Fig. 10.

In the drawings and description, only those parts necessary'to acomplete understanding of the invention have been set forth; furtherinformation as to the construction and operation of other elements notherein specifically pointed out, but which are usual and well known,being lower end of the of the yarn tube shown bevelled delivery end 33(Fig. 11).

chine to one of which a yarn carrier l6 according to my invention hasbeen attached. The bars l5 are shown in Fig. 2 as usually arranged inbrackets of a full fashioned Cotton type knitting machine, one suchbracket being shown at l1. The bars l5 are so held that yarn carrierssecured thereto may lay yarn to be kinked about the needles l8 arrangedin a bed IS inthe usual manner. Sinkers 22 and dividers 23 are shownarranged in the usual way for use in kinking yarn laid by a yam carrierabout the needles preliminary to its being knit.

The yarn carrier l6 comprises an arm 24 secured to yarn carrier bar l5.As shown, arm 24 is adjustably mounted on a plate 25, Fig. 1, which issecured in turn to the bar l5. This feature, however, forms no part ofthe present invention. It will be understood that each .bar

I I5 has a yarn carrier attached thereto for each bank of needles in theknitting machine. At the end remote from bar l5, arm 24 has a socket 26therein in which is releasably mounted a yarn guide or tube 21 and a.thread 28 from a yarn cone or package is led to each yarn carrier in useand delivered through preliminary guide means 32 on plate 25 and theguide proper 21 to a position where the yarn may be caught by thethroats of sinkers 22 and dividers 23 and drawn down onto their nibs ornoses 29. In accordance with my invention, the tube or guide 21 isformed from a piece of plain cylindrical tubing cut to the desiredlength and having a The guide 21 has a transverse cut 34 thereinconveniently placed relatively near its intake end; said out having afiat bottom 35, Fig. 10, and pronounced shoulders, 36, 36 at oppositeends thereof, the uses of which will presently appear. The flat 35 isplaced at a certain definite angle to the bevelled end 33 such that whenthe cut 34 and its fiat 35 are in the desired position in use, the end33 is then parallel to the plane along the top edges of the sinkers andthe guide can be set the minimum average distance from the dividerswithout danger of interference. .As is clear from the drawings, thecentral axial plane of flat 35 coincides with the longest element of thecylindrical surface of guide 21. In other words, the central axial planeof the flat 35 is at right angles to the plane of end 33 and includesthe major axis of the ellipse at such end.

As is clear from Figs. 3 and 5, the socket 26 is of cylindrical contourbut intersects one face of the arm 24, the upper face of the arm in thecarrier illustrated. Also, the same face of the arm 24 has a transversegroove 31 therein whose in Figs. 6, '7 and 8. Assuming a tube 21 is inthe socket 26 and the strap therefore-acts as a resilient latch meansfor holding the guide in place.

Further, if the guide 21 is not in the correct angular position at theinstant the tension on strap 38 is released, the pressure of the strapon guide 21 eiTects a limited turning movement of the guide to move thelatter to its correct angular position in which flat 35 is parallel tostrap 38.

The strap 38 is of substantially the same thickness as the depth of thegroove 31 so that the surface of the carrier arm 24 in the region of theguide 21 is almost perfectly smooth. The strap 38 extends around theedge of the arm 24 as is plain from Fig. 4 and lies in grooves on theother face of arm 24, the ends of the strap being pressed intoindentations 4|, 4i on the rear face of the arm so as to anchor the endsand connect the strap firmly to the arm. The other face of arm 24 istherefore nearlyas smooth as the first, one edge only of strap 38 lyingoutside the outline of arm 24 because of a slight reduction in width ofthe arm beginning just at point 42 at the upper edge of groove 31 andextending downward therefrom.

The strap 38 by extending across the open side, around the edges and tothe other face of.

the arm 24, also functions to prevent spreading or distortion of thewalls of the socket 26, thereby preventing the tube from becoming loosein the socket.

As is clear from Fig. 3, the socket 26 is open along one face of arm 24and at its upper por-- tion the socket is wider than at its lowerportion. By this arrangement, the tube 21 may readily be inserted intothe upper end of the socket, while the more nearly closed end holds thetube securely against any but axial movement so long as the tubeoccupies the entire length of the socket.

In order that strap 38 may be flexed conveniently, two recesses 43, 43are provided in the face of arm 24, Figs. 3, 4 and 9, into which a toolmay be inserted for flexing the strap or band 38 and it will be seenthat without flexing the band, accidental turning or removal of the tubeis entirely prevented.

The socket 26 is enlarged at its upper end into a groove 44 into whichthe guide 21 is passed on its way into and on its way out of socket 26.Owing to having the socket 26 to open on one face of arm 24, there is noneed of cutting an aperture through the arm to facilitate putting theguide into and taking it out of the socket. The arrangement shown istherefore adapted not only to a straight arm 24 as illustrated, but toyarn carrier arms having angles therein.

The operation of inserting a guide or tube 21 into or removing it fromsocket 26 is illustrated socket 26 as shown in Fig. 6, to remove thetube 21, strap 38 is first sprung out of the cut 34 of the tube to theposition shown in dot-and-dash outline in Fig. 4 andthe tube pushed ordrawn up into the position shown in Fig. 7 by any suitable tool. Tube 21can then readily be drawn up free of strap 38 after which it can beremoved from groove 44 and a new'tube 21 inserted by the reverseprocess.

Of course, the improvements specifically shown v and described by whichI obtain the above results, can be changed and modified in various wayswithout departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafterclaimed.

I claim as my invention. I i

1. In a straight knitting machine having sinkers, a yarn carriercomprising in combination an arm having a socket therein whose wallcoincides with the surface of a cylinder throughout its entire extent, ayarn guide tube in said socket free of projections extending beyond thesurface of said cylinder but having a flat faced transverse cut therein,said tube also bevelled at its delivery endparallel to the tops of thesinkare and said arm having a transverse groove therein with which saidout is adapted to register, and a flat metal strap having its endssecured to said .arm and lying in said groove and cut but adapted to besprung laterally of the arm to permit removal and insertion of saidtube, said bevel and out being so'related angularly that the pressure ofsaid strap on the cut in the tube ensures that the bevel will beparallel to the sin'kers.

2. The combination in a yarn carrier of an arm having a socket openingon one face thereof and extending to the tip of the arm,'said sockethaving a wider opening at one end than the other, a tube in said socket,and a latch means on said arm extending transversely of said socketwithin the portion having the wider opening and adapted to hold saidtube releasably in said socket.

3. A yarn carrier for-straight knitting machines comprising incombination an arm having a socket therein whose wall coincides with thesurface of a cylinder throughout its entire extent, a yarn guide tube insaid socket free of projections extending beyond the surface of saidcylinder but having a transverse cut therein, said tube also beveled atits delivery end and said arm having a transverse recess therein withwhich said out is adapted to register, and a fastener device secured tosaid arm and having a portion lying in said recess and cut, but adaptedto be sprung laterally of the arm to permit removal and insertion ofsaid tube, said bevel and out being so related angularly that thepressure of said device on the cut in the tube insures that the bevelwillbe held in a definite position.

JOSEPH HELD.

